Fortunate Son
by Punishershadow
Summary: Xander learns something about himself on Halloween '97. He's already the Zeppo and the Xander-shaped friend, and he's already the One Who Sees. Well, add 'Fortunate Son' to the list...
1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe that Snyder did that!" griped Alexander Harris as he and his friends walked out of school that afternoon. "Where does he get off, press-ganging us into taking a bunch of kids out trick-or-treating when we could be at the house binging on junk food and horror movies?!" Xander ranted for a while longer at the injustice done to him, Buffy Summers, and Willow Rosenburg.

Willow just shook her head. "At least Mr. Giles said that Halloween's a quiet night for things that go bump in the night, right?"

Buffy nodded. "It sucks having to escort the elementary kids, but at least we don't have to worry too much about the nightlife. Well, let's go and get our costumes. I hear there's this new costume shop that just opened; they've got a sale going on so it shouldn't be too pricey."

An hour later the trio entered Ethan's Costumes and set about looking for something to wear. Buffy immediately went to a rack of dresses marked '17th-Century' and started talking to Willow about how it would impress her boyfriend Angel. Xander snorted and looked away. He'd had a crush on Buffy since the first day he'd met her, but she only had eyes for Deadboy. He knew that Willow would get her usual ghost costume; she'd gone as a ghost for Halloween every year since Kindergarten.

Xander planned on trying to find a cheap plastic rifle to go with the surplus BDU's he had at home, a cheap costume since what little money he'd managed to keep away from his alcoholic parents didn't amount to much. But Xander's plans went out the window when he saw the last rifle walk off in the hands of a child who'd beaten him to the bin. "Darnit..." he whined as he tried to think of some other costume he could make or buy and not empty his wallet.

"I take it you had designs on that rifle, young man?" asked a cultured British voice from right behind Xander. Xander let out a stifled cry of surprise and whirled to face the middle-aged man who'd snuck up on him.

"Gods, man, don't do that. I think you took a couple years off my life," said Xander. "Who are you, by the way?"

The man smirked a little. "My apologies. My name is Ethan Rayne; I'm the owner and proprietor of this humble establishment. I just happened to notice you seemed a little put-out over that young lad buying the last toy rifle I had in stock. Perhaps I could help?"

Xander pondered for a moment. "Xander Harris. I was planning on just getting the rifle and wearing a set of old Army fatigues I've got at the house, but that plan's shot now. I don't know what I'll go as; I'm not exactly drowning in money at the moment. Oh, and by the way, you remind me of somebody. You've got the same exact accent as Giles."

Rayne's eyebrow lifted. "Giles? Rupert Giles?" Xander nodded. "I know him. We go back, Rupert and I. Way back. I tell you what; I've got a costume that I hadn't put on display yet; I doubt any of these uncultured Americans would appreciate it much, but you strike me as someone with an appreciation for history. Why don't you take a look at it, and if you like it, we could perhaps work out a deal for you to hire the costume for the night. A rental, as you Americans say."

"Sure. I'll take a look at it," said Xander. He followed Ethan back to the back of the store and into a room marked 'Storage'. There were boxes scattered around with pieces of costumes hanging out of them, and in the back was a mannequin. It was this that Rayne pointed to and told Xander to inspect.

The mannequin was dressed in Roman armor. Xander knew immediately what each piece was. He'd always had a fascination with Rome, and unbeknownst to Willow or anyone else, had read and learned much about the Romans. There were hobnailed sandals, _caligae_, on the feet and laced up over the ankles; greaves of steel on the shins. A leather belt, a _cingulum militare_, circled around the waist, with strips of leather covered in metal disks hanging down to protect the groin. The helmet was steel, with the signature broad cheekpieces and flared neck-guard, but no crest, marking it as a common soldier's helm, and not a centurion's. Xander instantly recognized it as the Imperial-Gallic pattern helmet.

And covering the mannequin's torso was the armor that everyone immediately associated with Roman legions. The _lorica segmentata_. It was a vest made from overlapping bands of steel, which looked like a vest made of barrel-hoops. Over the shoulders were shoulder-guards of the same make. On the belt hung a _pugio _dagger, and slung on a baldric and hanging on the mannequin's right side was the weapon that conquered the world. A plain and unadorned _gladius hispaniensis_. leaning against the wall, half-hidden by the mannequin, were the rectangular _scutum_ shield and what looked like a pair of _pila_, javelins.

"Well, my boy, what do you think? Can we make a deal?" asked Ethan from the door to the room. Xander turned, his head hung low.

"I'd love to rent it, Mr. Rayne, but I couldn't. This has to be the most expensive costume in the whole store, and I've only got twenty dollars to my name. I can't afford to even rent it."

Ethan Rayne looked from Xander to the costume and back. As he did, he heard a voice whisper in the back of his mind, _**"Give the armor to him, my Son. There's another one who has plans for him, but he **_**must**_** have that armor." **_Rayne thought back a 'Yes, Father', and smiled before walking over to the mannequin.

"You know what, Alexander? I assume that that's what 'Xander' is short for; good name, Alexander, by the way. Greek, 'Defender of Man'. I've decided that, since you're a friend of Rupert, and since you seem so enamored of this armor that I _know_ I'll never sell, that I'm going to make the deal of a lifetime with you. I'll let you have the armor and all associated kit for the simple price of telling everyone where you got it. It's never too early to advertise for next Halloween, and you're the friend of a friend. What do you say?" Rayne extended his hand as if to shake.

Xander was dumbfounded, but if there was one thing he'd learned growing up, it was how to take 'yes' for an answer. Xander smiled broadly and shook Rayne's hand. "We have a deal, Mr. Rayne."

"Good, good. Come, let's get the gear bagged up so you can get it home." The two quickly had the armor and weapons packed into two duffle bags, and the shield wrapped in a leather cover that they found rolled up behind it. Xander stepped out of the back and saw that Buffy and Willow had already left. He shouldered the bags and headed home himself to get ready.

That evening, Xander knocked on the Summers' door wearing the tunic and padding that went under the armor, the greaves, and the _caligae_. He had the rest of the armor and kit still in the bags. When Joyce, Buffy's mom, answered the door, she started for a moment. "Good evening, Xander. Buffy and Willow are still getting ready; why don't you come in and we'll wait in the kitchen for them. I've got some cookies about to come out of the oven, and while we snack maybe you can tell me what your costume is."

"Oh, about that, my costume, I mean. This isn't all of it, but I need some help getting into the rest of it. Mind lending me a hand, Mrs. S? Trust me, you'll like the whole costume once it's on." Xander smiled and Joyce led the way into the kitchen. Xander set his bags down and opened them, revealing the armor. While he explained how he'd come by the armor, Joyce helped him shrug into the _lorica_ and fasten the buckles that closed it at the front. Then Xander put on the belt and dagger, and slung the baldric and sword so that it hung at his right hip. The cover came off the shield, and the two _pila_ came out of the duffle bag. Xander leaned the shield against his side and the javelins against the table, and put on the helmet. Then he thumped his chest with his right fist. _"Ave, Domina Aestates."_

Joyce was stunned at the transformation. Where before Xander had looked like any other teenager, now he looked like he'd be right at home on the field with Ceasar or Scipio or Varus. In fact, Joyce admitted to herself, he looked more natural in that armor than he did in his usual jeans and Hawaiian shirts. "And what does that mean, Xander? I didn't know you knew Latin."

Xander dropped his fist and smiled again. "Promise not to tell Buffy or Willow?" Joyce swore not to tell and Xander went on. "I've always had kind of a fascination with Rome. I read as much as I could about it; the culture, the military, the history, the myth. Everything I could get my hands on. I even learned how to speak and read Latin. When I saluted you, I said 'Hail, Lady Summers'. I kept the whole Latin fascination thing a secret from Wills because she's so used to being the brains of the two of us. I didn't want to hurt her by being smarter about something than her, you know?"

Joyce just nodded. "I understand, but I'm still surprised that you kept it a secret. You should've let Willow know; maybe she likes Roman history as much as you do." Joyce checked the clock on the wall. "Well, it's almost time for you to go." She picked up the _scutum_ from where it leaned against the table. As she held it out to him, she smirked with an expression that wouldn't have been out of place on her daughter's face, and said to him, _"Epistrofí̱ me af̱tí̱ aspída , í̱ apó to."_

"Huh?" Xander was somewhat confused.

Joyce laughed. "Alexander's a Greek name, so I figured it was appropriate to wish you well in Greek. 'Return with this shield, or upon it'. It's how Spartan women wished their men well when they left for battle. You're not the only history buff around, Xander." She paused when she heard footsteps on the stairs and the smirk came back. "That's probably Buffy. Wait here until I call you and we'll surprise her. Okay?" Xander nodded enthusiastically and picked up his _pila_ and made ready.

Mrs. Summers stepped out of the kitchen and saw Buffy on the stairs. "Mom, is Xander here? It's almost time to leave and I hadn't heard from him."

Joyce nodded. "Give me a second; he's in the kitchen." Joyce had left the door open so Xander could see out and hear the conversation. Joyce stepped to one side, her back to Buffy, and barked out, _"Legionario milite Gaius Alexandrus, ab fronte et centrum!"_

Buffy's jaw dropped when Xander marched out of the kitchen, his back ramrod straight, in full Roman armor. He came to a halt, executed a drill-field-perfect right-face, and came to attention, his shield at his side. "Reporting for duty, Ma'am!" he barked right back. Then he smirked and looked up at Buffy. "Wow..." He saluted Buffy with his fist over his heart. "Hail, Lady Buffy, Duchess of Buffonia. I take it all back; I completely renounce spandex."

"Wow, Xander. You look downright deadly in that armor. Greek?"

"Roman, actually, Buff. Ethan, the guy at the store, told me that since he and Giles are old friends, and since he didn't expect to sell it, he'd give it to me in exchange for telling folks where I got it from."

Buffy laughed. "You've got some of the oddest luck sometimes, Xander. But wait'll you see-" Willow stepped out, in her customary ghost costume. "-Casper." Xander heard a note of disappointment in her voice.

"Nice costume, Wills. Got your 'boo' ready for tonight?"

"Uh-huh, Xan... Wow, is that real Roman armor? You look so coolanditmusthavecostyouafor tuneandhowdidyougetit-"

"Breathe, Willow," said Xander. He quickly explained how he'd come by the costume, and they set out together to do their un-wished-for duty and escort the elementary-schoolers around the town so they could hit people up for candy. As they left, Xander picked up the hastily-constructed wooden T-pole and leather satchel he'd cobbled together for a marching pack.

They arrived at the school soon after they left the Summers house, and Snyder quickly assigned them their groups. Xander looked at his bunch o' munchkins and smiled. "Evening, kids. My name is Gaius Alexandrus Aleo, and I'm your escort for tonight. Everybody here ready? Before we leave, a couple tips for you, for mooching more candy. First, tears are great for getting more; nobody likes to see a kid crying. Second, the old 'you missed me' trick is a classic, but it helps if you don't stand out from the rest of the group too much, or else they'll know you're running a con on them..."

Meanwhile, at Ethan's, the Englishman in question was dressed in ceremonial robes, kneeling before a bust of a two-faced man, chanting a spell. "Janus, hear my plea. Take this as your own. Show us your truth, the mask made flesh. Janus, this night is yours!" There was a blinding flash of green light, and a wave of magic rolled across the length and breadth of Sunnydale, California. As the magic reached each person who'd worn a costume from Ethan's, they changed, becoming whatever they'd dressed as. Xander Harris felt the wave hit him and the world went black...

Gaius Alexandrus Aleo stood and looked at the chaos around him. Where in all the gods was he? The last he remembered, he'd been fighting Gauls at Alesia. Now he found himself in the middle of a street, cobbled with some unknown type of black stone, surrounded by buildings of unknown make, and ringed about by creatures out of a campfire tale. The Roman hefted his _scutum_ and drew his _gladius_, ready to ward the creatures off if need be. Several of the monsters did attack, and he dispatched them swiftly with hard blows with his shield's boss, or with darting thrusts of his _gladius_._"Ad minimum bonum Romanus ferro adhuc interficit has creaturas, aut essem ego in tribulatione mea. Sed ubi sum? Hoc non est Alesiam, quod suus 'quoque calidusque in Gallia ..." _The legionary made his way down the street, and turned a corner onto another.

Gaius's musing was interrupted by someone shouting from just behind him. He whirled and his sword shot out in a thrust, only to go _through_ the spectral woman before him. He noted with confusion that the spirit was dressed in a most revealing outfit. Then he focused his attention on the spirit's words. She was speaking rapidly to him in a foreign tongue, and the only word he caught was 'Xander', which sounded like a corruption of his _nomen_, or clan name, 'Alexandrus'. _"Latine loqui Spiritus, dicens: Nescio quid dicas quod barbara lingua!" _he snapped and the ghost went silent, mumbled something to herself that he _still couldn't understand_, and spoke in halting Latin.

_"Postulo ... succurrite. Magicam in oppidum. Populus exterat larvis ... conversus in personis inductis. Ego habitu ... Spíritus ... factus spiritum. Vos amicus meus ... habitu ... miles ... factus miles. alter amicus ... habitu ... nobilis mulieris. Postulo ... inveniet ... amicus. Postulo ... aspiret ... magicae. "_

Gaius looked around and found a pool of water where he could see his reflection. The face staring back at him under the brows of his helmet stunned him to silence, for the face he saw was not his own. He took a deep breath and went back to where the spirit stood. He addressed the spirit, speaking slowly because obviously this ghost was a barbarian who didn't know much Latin._ "Ego adiuvi te, et si redeam ad legionis meae. Mea nomen est Gaius Alexandrus Aleo, Legio Quinta Gallica, sub Gaius Julius Ceasar multas. Quid est nomen tuum, Spiritum?"_

The spirit smiled a little and responded, _"Gratias tibi ago. Nomen meum ... Willow. Amice tibi ... circumdatio ... nomen ... Alexander. Alij amicus ... nomen ... Buffy. Nos postulo ... invenient eam." _She started to say something else when a female scream pierced the chaotic night. "Buffy!" the spirit yelled, and started running toward the source of the scream with Gaius on her translucent heels.

What they found was a brunette girl in a pink dress, cowering in fear of some glowing-eyed creature. Before anyone could say anything, Gaius sheathed his _gladius _and cast one of his _pila._ The javelin flew straight and true, piercing the beast's skin with a metallic sound. The light went out of the creature's eyes. Gaius held his second _pila_ and his shield, and carefully poked the creature. _"Puto mortuus est. Quale est hoc animal Willow?" _

The spirit tried speaking, rapidly running out of Latin to try and explain, until finally, the noblewoman spoke up._"Spiritus est dicit creatura occidistis non est creatura omnino, sed nonnullus typus of magicales raeda. Vocavit eam a 'Toyota'._" Her Latin was flawless, if a little stilted. "_Nolo eam. Ego Domina Elizabeth Summers et dabit te patrem meum ad haec portenta me salvum fortis miles."_

Gaius responded as he gestured for the spirit to lead them someplace safe. He pulled his _pilum_ out of the wound in the 'Toyota' and spoke to Lady Summers as the trio moved. _"Mihi opus est Interrogabo vos aliquid, gratiam, Domina Summers. Spiritus erant 'sequens non loquitur multa Latina. Potes verterim ad mihi, sic EGO can denique instar sicco quis hic aguntur? Mea nomen est Gaius Alexandrus Aleo , per viam. "_

_"Si is mos succurro nos finire quidquid foeditas adduxit nos huc, tunc sic, Sir Gaius, ego interpretari vobis." _The noblewoman was shaking with fright, but Gaius could see her try to firm up. They soon arrived at a small, multi-story villa that the Willow the spirit, through Lady Summers, said would be safe for them to hole up in until she could get help, apparently from some wiseman named 'Giles'.

Gaius rooted around until he found a heavy-enough object, and set about trying to straighten the bent shaft of the _pilum_ he'd thrown earlier. Lady Summers was staring at the portraits on the wall and remarking to herself in the same language as the ghost. The legionary bolted upright, however, when from outside came a cry of alarm. Gaius exited the door in time to see a huge hairy beast chasing a girl dressed, of all things, in a very revealing cat costume. Gaius threw the _pilum_ in his hand, and the half-straightened javelin flipped over one time in the air, and cracked butt-first into the side of the beast's head. The girl ran past him into the house as Gaius went and retrieved his spear. Just as he was about to enter the villa, everything went black again.

Willow had gone to Giles, after watching Xander collapse, and after a quick explanation of what had happened, Giles had a fairly good idea of who was to blame. He sent Willow back to the others, and he himself went to Ethan's store. A short discussion and some skinned knuckles later, a bloodier Ethan Rayne told Giles to break the bust of Janus if he wanted to break the spell. Giles kicked Ethan in the head to knock him out, and swept the bust of Janus off its pedestal to smash on the ground. Another wave of magic had burst forth, and the changes were reversed. Most woke up immediately from the curse. One, however, did not. But this was not because of any lingering traces of possession, no. This man was having a _conversation_...

**Here's a translation (via Google Translate; I apologize if it's not the best) of the Latin used in the chapter, with notes as to who's speaking:**

**Joyce-"Legionary soldier Gaius Alexandrus, front and center!"**

**And the conversation after the spell hits:**

**Xander-"Speak Latin, Spirit; I can't understand what you're saying in that barbarian tongue!"**

**Willow-"Need... help. Magic on town. People wear masks... turn into masks. I dress... ghost... become ghost. You my friend... dress... soldier... become soldier. Other friend... dress... noblewoman. Need... find... friend. Need... break... magic."**

**Xander-"I will help you, if it will let me return to my legion. My name is Gaius Alexandrus Aleo, of the Fifth Gaulish Legion, under Gaius Julius Ceasar. What is your name, Spirit?"**

**Willow-"Thank you. My name...Willow. Friend you... wearing... name... Alexander. Other friend... name... Buffy. We need...find her."**

**Xander-"I think that it's dead. What manner of beast is this thing, Willow?"**

**Buffy-"The spirit is says the creature you slew is not a creature at all, but some type of magical carriage. She called it a 'Toyota'."**

**Buffy-"I do not believe her. I am Lady Elizabeth Summers, and my father will pay you well to keep me safe from these monsters, brave knight."**

**Xander-"I need to ask you something, a favor, Lady Summers. The spirit we're following doesn't speak much Latin. Can you translate for me, so I can finally figure out what is happening here? My name is Gaius Alexandrus Aleo, by the way."**

**Buffy-"If it will help us end whatever foulness brought us here, then yes, Sir Gaius, I will interpret for you."**

**Well, that's it for the first chapter of 'Fortunate Son'. Let me know how I'm doing, folks. I appreciate the views and reviews. They're what help me keep writing. Later-later, y'all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, folks, here's the second chapter of 'Fortunate Son'! But before I kick this bad boy off, I noticed I forgot a bit of fine print when I put Chapter One up. Lemme just knock that outta the way real fast, and we can move on with the story. Eh-hem:**

**-I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus Series. They belong to Joss Whedon and Rick Riordan, respectively. I'm just kinda borrowing their characters for a while.-**

**Alright, on with the show!**

Xander woke up surrounded by mist. "Huh? where am I? The last thing I remember was passing out..." A look of horror started to dawn on his face. "Oh, gods, I'm dead..." A musical female laugh behind him startled Xander out of his melancholy. For the third time that day he whirled on the spot and faced the person who'd startled him.

She was a completely unassuming woman of about Joyce Summers's age. If you didn't look closely at her. She was of average height, with a Mediterranean complexion, black hair tied back in a low tail, and a casual set of jeans and a purple shirt with an image of an eagle on the front. She was wearing a necklace around her neck with a medallion fashioned in the image of a roulette wheel and a charm bracelet with a heart, a spade, a club, and a diamond around her wrist. When she spoke, she smiled in a way that reminded Xander of... himself. But Xander could feel power radiating off this woman like heat from a stove. "You're not dead, Alexander. You're just knocked out from the backlash of that spell breaking. I needed to talk with you, now that I finally managed to find you."

"Find me? Who are you, lady?" Xander was starting to wig out a little. "Just what's going on here?" He stood and looked the woman in the eye challengingly.

The answer he got was not what he expected. "What? You don't recognize your own mother?" At Xander's spluttering fit at being told this she chuckled, and a pair of chairs appeared from the mist. "Let me explain, and you can ask questions afterward, okay?" Xander nodded, still speechless.

The woman started. "Okay, here's the deal. I know you've always had a thing for Rome, so you obviously know all those old myths about demigods, right? Well, I'm here to tell you, they're true. Every last one of them. The gods and goddesses of Greece and Rome still exist, to this very day. They still occasionally go out amongst the mortals and have flings. And demigods still result from time to time.

Now, this is all well and good, but there's a bit of a downside. Demigods, as a rule, have ADHD because they're hardwired for combat and their reflexes are sharper than a normal mortal's, and because their brains are wired for Latin and Ancient Greek instead of English, most demigods are at least a little dyslexic. There's also the fact that demigods give off a sort of mystical scent that draws in monsters. Demigods are demon magnets, and without training they tend to die young.

But there _is_ an upside to being a demigod, because demigods usually get at least a little gift from their godly parent. Like a son of Neptune could heal using water, or a daughter of Athena would be smarter than average."

Xander blinked a couple times. "Let me get this straight," he said evenly. "Are you implying that you are my mom, _and_ a goddess, thus making me a demigod?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm not implying, Alexander. I'm stating it point-blank. I'm a Roman goddess, and you are my demigod son. If you want I'll swear on the River Styx that I'm telling the truth."

Xander started. Swearing on the Styx was not an oath one took lightly, and to volunteer to do so was as much a testament of faith as actually swearing. "I believe you. I'll probably want to get the full story of my origins from you later. I'd ask Tony but he's usually so deep in the bottle that saying 'good morning' to him is taking my life in my own hands. So, you know my name; what's yours, Mom?"

"I'll give you a hint," the goddess said with a mischievous smirk. "I've known about your friend Buffy for a while now, and to tell the truth I rather like her. I admire her bravery, you see; but, then again, I always have tended to... favor the bold, shall we say."

_"Fortuna audaces iuvat," _said Xander with a laugh. "Fortune favors the bold. I'm a son of Fortuna? I should've guessed, what with the roulette wheel medallion. No wonder I've always had weird luck. So, Mom, while I'm still knocked out, got any good stories on other demigods to tell?"

Fortuna idly spun the wheel on her medallion, and smiled. "I've got a few to tell. Remember how I said, 'without training', demigods tend to wind up dead? There's a pair of camps that train demigods how to fight and survive. They usually track down demigods when they're younger than you are now, but the Hellmouth must have masked your scent. Like I said, there are two camps. The Greek one is Camp Half-Blood, out on Long Island, New York. The Roman camp is a little closer to home for you. Camp Jupiter. You actually met a former Camp Jupiter camper tonight..."

Giles and Willow were gathered around Xander where he lay across the top of a table in the Sunnydale High-School Library. "Giles, he's not waking up. Why isn't he waking up?" asked Willow nervously. She'd found Xander in the yard in front of Buffy's house and cried for Cordelia and Buffy to help drag Xander inside. They'd piled him into Cordelia's car and brought him to the library, where he now rested. Cordelia had left and Buffy had gone to try and find Angel, leaving only Willow and Giles to watch over their fallen comrade.

"I don't know, Willow. He should have awoken immediately like the rest of the victims. Perhaps there was something special about that particular costume."

"No' the costume, not entirely, G-man," murmured Xander as he woke and sat up. "It wasn't entirely the costume that knocked me out like that. I just had to be out a while so I could have a conversation."

Giles's eyebrow raised. "A- A conversation, you say? With whom, or what?"

"I'll get to that in a moment. I learned a few things, G-Man. For example, I learned the significance of the tattoo on Ethan Rayne's right arm. The one with the hash-marks and doorway arch under the letters 'SPQR'."

"Yes, I'd always wondered why someone so chaotic as Ethan would have a tattoo like that. He never served anyone but himself, in the end."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Willow as she looked between the two of them confusedly. It was, surprisingly, Xander that answered.

"SPQR. _Senatus Populusque Romanus. _It means 'The Senate and People of Rome' in Latin." He took in her dumbfounded look and sighed. "I've always been a fanatic about Roman history and culture, Wills. I even speak and read Latin fluently. I kept it a secret because I know how much it means to you being the brains of both of us. I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

They were interrupted by Giles clearing his throat. Xander blushed and continued his explanation. "Giles, you know all those Greco-Roman myths about how the gods would come down to earth in human form, get their ashes hauled by mortals, and every now and then a demigod would result?"

"Yes..."

"They're true. Down to the last word. The Olympians of Greece and Rome still exist, to this very day, and they still have flings with mortals from time to time. And demigods still result. There's actually a pair of camps, one in the east and one out west here, just to find demigods and train them, because demigods put out this scent that draws monsters in like vultures to a carcass. No training equals demigod dead at young age. Now, I don't know about the Greek camp out east, but the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter, shows what deity has claimed what kid, by using the tattoo. 'SPQR', then the symbol of that god or goddess, then one hash mark for each year they've been with the Legion. Oh, did I forget to mention, the demigods at Camp Jupiter get their training as part of the Twelfth Legion."

Giles had gotten very quiet, and Willow had started babbling. "So you're saying Mr. Rayne is a demigod?" the redhead asked.

Xander nodded. "Son of Janus, God of Endings, Beginnings, and Transitions. Hence the doorway in his Legion tat."

Giles took his glasses off and began to clean them. "I'm going to assume that the existence of demigods wasn't all you learned? And by the way, Alexander, you still haven't told us who or what you learned this from."

Xander smiled thinly. "I learned all this from my mother. Who, by the way, is _not_ Jessica Harris. As to who she is, I feel like having a laugh, so I'll just give you the same clues she gave me."

"Which are?"

"She's known about Buffy for a while now. Mom likes her; admires her bravery. But then, Mom _is _known for favoring the bold."

As a look of comprehension dawned on Giles's face, Xander nodded to him. "Yeah, my Harris Luck isn't all from Tony. My mom's Fortuna, the Roman goddess of Luck."

Giles and Willow grew identical disbelieving looks, and Xander looked them both in the eye. "Are you sure about all this, Xander? I mean, you did hit your head pretty hard when you passed out..." said Willow.

Xander cut her off before she could get up to speed on another round of Willow-babble. "I, Alexander Lavelle Harris, swear that all I have said this night about gods, demigods, Camps Half-Blood and Jupiter, and the heritage of Ethan Rayne and myself, is nothing more nor less than the truth. On the River Styx I swear it." Giles and Willow both froze and Giles's eyes widened as a metaphysical weight settled on the room.

"A- Alexander, you _do_ realise just what you've done? How binding such an oath is?"

"I wouldn't have sworn it if I didn't know, G-Man. I just needed a way to prove to you I wasn't lying or confused. And I figured you of all people, Watcher from a long line of Watchers, would understand the weight of an oath sworn on the Styx." Xander stood up shakily and saw that his armor had been removed while he was out.

Willow looked at Giles and Xander. "Just how binding _is _an oath sworn on the Styx? Isn't that the river of the dead?"

Xander nodded and made his way over to where the armor sat in a corner. As he inspected it for damage, he spoke. "Very. The consequences of breaking an oath sworn on the River Styx fall right in the middle of the 'Worse Things Than Death' category." Xander drew the _gladius_ from its scabbard and ran a thumb along one edge. He stood and pulled a whetstone out of one of Giles's desk drawers and started honing the blade. "Anyway, the Roman demigod camp is Camp Jupiter. I won't tell you where it's at, because I don't know where it's at, other than it's in California somewhere. In about three days, I'm going to be getting a visit from the goddess who makes the decision about who gets into Camp Jupiter and who doesn't. Usually the decision's made after months of training at Wolf House, in Sonoma, but according to Mom Lupa's making a special trip here to test me and see if living on a Hellmouth has me tough enough to hack it in the Legion. Assuming she decides I'm tough enough, I... I might be moving away from Sunnydale."

Willow blanched. "Moving? As in, to _stay_? What about us? What about Buffy? What- No! You're staying right here, Mister! See? Resolve Face!"

Xander shook his head. "It's not my decision to make, Wills. If I have to stay at Camp, I'll see about visiting, or getting you guys in to visit me if I can. But either way, it's not my decison to make." He sheathed the _gladius_ and belted the _cingulum _and _pugio_ on over his tunic, then slung the _gladius_ over his torso. "In the meantime, G-Man, do you mind if I stash my armor here? Don't want Tony selling it for scrap when I'm not around."

As Giles helped Xander move his eqipment into the weapons section of the book cage, he asked Xander, "Do you plan on telling Buffy? And if so, when?"

"I'll tell her next time I see her in here. I want you and Will to back me up in case she doesn't believe me." Xander stood and sighed. "Coincidentally, where is Buffy?"

Giles checked his watch. "Due to the 'gas leak' last night and the 'hallucinations' it caused, school was called off for today. Buffy should be at her house by now, or nearly there." He reached into a footlocker and pulled out a set of gray sweats. "Here, Xander. This way you don't have to go all the way back to your house in a tunic and sandals. Buffy said she'd be back at the library at noon for training. You could tell her about the recent developments then. It's half-past nine now."

Xander stepped into the restroom and changed into the sweats. He came back the library to tell Giles and Willow that he'd be back at eleven thirty, and slid the sheathed _pugio_ into his waistband as a 'just-in-case'. Then he went home, thankfully avoiding Tony and Jessica. Both of them were passed out in the living room, and Xander stepped lightly and went down to his basement bedroom. Xander lay down to take a nap and drifted off with thoughts of his newest revelations spinning in his head.

When Buffy arrived at the library at noon, she found Willow watching in awe and Giles in interest as Xander took a wooden shortsword to a training dummy, the shield from the night before in his other hand.

"Hey, guys. What's up? How come Xander's getting all stabby on the dummy?"

Xander stepped in and brought the upper edge of his _scutum _up in a blow to the dummy's chin that would have broken a human's neck, and followed up with a blistering trio of stabs with the _rudis_ before taking a breath and turning to face Buffy. "Felt like getting some exercise, Buffy. Good cardio."

"Buffy, we need to sit down, as a group, and discuss last night's events. Particularly the case of Xander," said Giles as he pulled a chair out from the table.

Buffy's eyebrow lifted. "Xander? I take it something's still wrong? Like his sudden skill with a sword, perhaps? I know that I retained some knowledge from Lady Useless last night. I'll probably ace my next French test." Buffy, for all her differences to previous Slayers, had many similarities. For example, a deep-seated distrust of things changing. For example, her Xander-shaped friend, who up to then had never exhibited more than rudimentary knowledge of weaponry, suddenly moving like an expert with a shield and sword.

Xander just chuckled. "That's part of it, Buff. But to tell the truth, I knew how to use a _gladius_ well before last night. Gaius Alexandrus definitely put a professional polish on it, but I had the knowledge already." He sighed. "The reason why I didn't wake up immediately from the spell being broken was because I was having a conversation with someone, and learning some very interesting things. For example, Ethan Rayne, the dude who sold us the costumes and cast the spell, isn't entirely human. He's a demigod."

Buffy started, then snorted. "Yeah, right. Pull the other one, Xander. A demigod? Like half-god? God of what, stupid ideas?" She started to laugh outright until Xander continued.

"Son of Janus, the Roman god of Transitions, Endings, Beginnings, Gateways and Doorways. And he's not the only demigod in this town. So am I." Xander's serious tone brought the Slayer up short.

"_You're_ a demigod?! Please, Xander, tell me you're joking! You're the weakest out of all of us; I have to bail you out every time you patrol with me! Quit kidding around!" Buffy was indignant, thinking Xander was trying to pull a very tasteless joke on her.

Willow laid her hand on Xander's. "Buffy, he already told us. He even swore this really heavy mystical oath that he wasn't lying about it."

Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them then looked Buffy in the eye. "Alexander swore on the River Styx that he was telling nothing more nor less than the truth, Buffy. You may not know this, but an oath sworn on the Styx is an _extremely_ important and binding oath. The consequences of breaking an oath sworn on the River Styx, as Xander put it, fall right in the middle of the 'Worse Things than Death' category."

Buffy was dumbfounded. "You're not lying?" She looked at each of them in turn. "Wow, Xander. This is pretty cool. Who's your divine daddy?"

Xander smirked. "My mom, actually. You mentioned that I have the weirdest luck sometimes? Well, I know where it comes from now. You're looking at a son of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of Luck." Buffy laughed again, this time in honest amusement. After she'd composed herself again, Xander explained to Buffy what he'd told Willow and Giles, and then told her about the visit he was expecting. "In a few days, the goddess who decides who is and isn't worthy of going to Camp Jupiter is making a special trip up here from her usual haunts, just to test me and see if Hellmouth living made me tough enough to hack it at Camp. If I get in, I'll try and visit, or have you guys come down and visit me, but I'll more than likely wind up moving away from Sunny-D."

Buffy nodded, unsure of whether to be happy about Xander getting a chance to get away from the Hellmouth and its attendant weirdness, or else to be nervous about how he'd mentioned that even without the Hellmouth he'd be a demon-magnet for the rest of his life. "Well, in that case, it'd be best if I helped you train a little more so you can hopefully measure up to this goddess's standards. Coincidentally, what happens if you _don't_ measure up?"

Xander shrugged. "Eaten. Killed and eaten. You gotta realize, Buff, being a demigod's a pretty rough life, even if it doesn't quite match being 'one girl in all the world'. And the goddess who tests the potential recruits is harsh by necessity, and very much about survival of the fittest. I mean, would you expect anything else from _Lupa Capitolina_?"

"Lupa Cappa-whata?" asked Willow confusedly, her query echoed by Buffy.

Giles took up the thread and explained. "_Lupa Capitolina_, or the Capitoline She-Wolf. According to legend, before Rome the city was founded, a pair of twins named Romulus and Remus were cast adrift as babies on the River Tiber by their uncle. Their uncle had usurped the throne from their stepfather, and ordered their mother to become a Vestal Virgin, a priestess sworn to chastity, so that she could produce no heirs. According to legend, the twins' mother, Rhea Silva, became pregnant by the god Mars, and delivered the twins Romulus and Remus. After they were abandoned on the river, they were found and nursed by a she-wolf, and eventually found and fostered by a shepherd and his wife. They later went on to found Rome. The wolf who'd nursed them as infants was considered a minor goddess in her own right."

Buffy took this all in with a dumbfounded expression, which hardened into a look of such intense determination that the Scoobies were taken aback by it. "Alright, that just means we train even harder. Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, is going to eat my Xander-shaped friend!"

The next three days passed in a blur of motion and pain. Buffy, Giles, and Willow had taken it upon themselves to make absolutely certain that Xander was ready for whatever tests were thrown at him by Lupa when she arrived. Most of his training consisted of Buffy beating him into the ground with whatever weapon she pleased, although she _did_ mention that he was lasting longer before being beaten. Xander was just happy that Buffy was holding back, or else she'd have staked him like a vampire more than a few times, shield or no shield! When he wasn't training with Buffy, or learning various historical and mythological trivia with Giles and Willow, he patrolled with Buffy as she made her rounds. He wasn't as fast as Buffy, nor quite so strong, but against fledgeling vampires who had no real combative skill, he was deadly. He'd taken a spare _rudis_ and sanded the edges and point down to a fine edge, and he wielded it and his _scutum_ with consumate ability.

Xander was on his way to the library to get his gear and patrol with Buffy when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and standing in the alleyway to his left was a wolf that stood seven feet tall. Trusting his instincts, he dropped to one knee. "_Ave, Domina Lupa_."

Lupa nodded to him. **"Follow me, Alexander. What I have to say is best said in private."** She turned and trotted away, Xander jogging at her heels. They came to a secluded patch of forest on the outskirts of the park, and Lupa turned once more to face Xander. **"I've come here to test you, Alexander, to see if you are worthy of joining the Legion at Camp Jupiter. Yours is a special case; normally demigods come to me much earlier. It's a credit to you that you've survived so long, though much of that could likely be attributed to the Hellmouth masking your true nature from others. Do not think for a moment, however, that I will be lenient with you, Son of Fortuna. I've been here in Sunnydale for two days now, watching you, and between your training with the Slayer and your patrols with her** **you've shown **_**some**_** skill and a fair amount of determination." **The massive she-wolf eyed Xander like he was nothing more than a yipping whelp, and continued. **"Your training starts now."**

The training was brutal, and for all that Lupa claimed to have abbreviated the _length_ of the training and testing, Xander strongly suspected that she'd compensated by making it even more grueling than normal. In the end, the training lasted eight days. He'd spent eight days in the forest, learning all he could. He'd not slept at all the entire time. He'd sharpened his senses, hardened his body, and steeled his nerve. All this Xander did, and in the end it came down to a single, final test.

Xander leapt backward to avoid the snapping jaws of his erstwhile teacher and retaliated with a harsh thrust of his club toward her eye. Lupa slipped the blow like a boxer and swiped at him with a paw, and Xander ducked under and rolled in, coming up from his roll into a kick that connected with the she-wolf's shoulder, only to be bowled over by Lupa ramming that same shoulder into him in a body-check that sent him skidding across the dirt. Xander regained his footing and reached behind him to where he'd leaned a long sapling that he'd sharpened into a makeshift spear. He'd lost his club during his skid, and now brought out the spear and charged, a battlecry on his lips. The two met in a blur of flashing teeth and whipping spear-thrusts, swinging paws and hammering blows. Neither gave any ground in this their final battle...

In the end, Xander looked at Lupa from where her maw encircled his torso, ready to bite down and crush him to paste. And Lupa looked at the point of Xander's spear hovering just before her left eye. "We're both dead, or we would both _be_ dead if this was Celestial Bronze or Imperial Gold," said Xander as he wiggled the spear tip. Lupa placed him back on the ground and spoke.

**"You would sacrifice your own life to end your enemy?" **asked Lupa.

Xander's response was automatic. "In a heartbeat, if it meant protecting my friends and family."

Lupa gave a disturbing, fang-filled wolf-grin. **"Congratulations, Alexander. You've passed my trials. Say your goodbyes here, and then seek out Camp Jupiter. Trust your instincts and you'll find it easily. Until another time, Alexander." **And with that, Lupa simply turned and trotted away, vanishing into the forest as if she'd never even been there.

**And that's Chapter Two. As always, views and reviews are much appreciated.**


End file.
